Basketball

BOSTON (AP) — The collective sentiment among the Celtics following their 41-point win at Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee was it would be meaningless if they lost Friday's follow-up at home against Utah.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden sat at his stall inside the 76ers' new locker room — complete with oversized team logo in the centre — and got his left ankle taped. The condition of The Beard's Achilles is the No.

CLEVELAND (AP) — With All-Star Julius Randle back in New York, the Knicks needed someone to step up. Jalen Brunson did that, and more.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Paolo Banchero is finishing strong in his bid for Rookie of the Year honors.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mikal Bridges remembers when he couldn't even score 30 points in a game. These days he surpasses 40, giving the Nets the scoring that seemed lost when they traded Kevin Durant in the deal that brought Bridges to Brooklyn.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — T.J. McConnell had 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Jalen Smith added 12 points and 15 rebounds and the short-handed Indiana Pacers held off the playoff-hopeful Oklahoma City Thunder 121-117 on Friday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Toronto coach Nick Nurse will take time in the offseason to consider if he wants to return to the Raptors for a sixth season or pursue other options. With the Raptors under .

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan each scored 23 points and the Chicago Bulls routed the injury-plagued Charlotte Hornets 121-91 on Friday night to take a big step toward reaching the NBA's play-in tournament.

NEW YORK (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge announced Friday he is retiring again from the NBA. Aldridge, 37, initially retired in 2021 after experiencing an irregular heartbeat in the last of five games he played for the Brooklyn Nets that season.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA fined Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert $25,000 and coach Chris Finch $15,000 on Friday for their public criticisms of the officiating after their last game.